This piece is not a Report, it’s a Prediction
Paul George and the Philadelphia 76ers are in a “limbo phase” in their “relationship”, and a large part of this is their committment to the oft-injured Joel Embiid as well as having a significant youth movement on their roster.
They have added young talent like Tyrese Maxey, Jared McCain, VJ Edgecomb which is an excellent trio at just 24, 21, and 19 years old. The biggest “problem” this team is going to face is what to do with Paul George because he’s also been extremely inconsistent, and quite frankly hasn’t seemed dialed in to being a true star player in the NBA anymore.
With all of this in mind, the 76ers should at least ENTERTAIN a potential Paul George trade, and for this reason we have entered in the Los Angeles lakers. Here’s why this trade proposal would/would not work.
The Los Angeles Lakers would have to find a way to make up around $50 million to fit with George’s hideous contract, and there is actually only one truly realistic way to make this work: trading away Lebron James.
Besides Luka Doncic and Lebron James, the next highest paid players are Rui Hachimura at $18 million, Austin Reaves at $13 million, and Jarred Vanderbilt at $11 Million.
The only other two players that could be interesting for the Lakers to potentially want would be an Andre Drummond to help out the size or Adem Bona who’s the 76ers young backup center from UCLA who has a ton of lob threat potential.
Two Potential Trade Packages for Paul George
76ers Receive: F Lebron James & G Bronny James
or
76ers Receive: G Gabe Vincent. F Jarred Vanderbilt, F Rui Hachimura, & C Maxi Kleber for Paul George and Adem Bona
76ers Uncertainty With the Roster
Once again, taking a peek at the 76ers roster, this would be their attempt to get rid of Paul George’s atrocious contract that they are on the hook for the next three seasons.
If Philadelphia made this a mid-season trade where James just requests out (would not be far-fetched as we’re talking about Lebron here), the worst case scenario is this trade doesn’t pan out and James leaves in free agency. Even though Philadelphia ends up with nothing, they got rid of George’s $50 million which is still a major win.
If we take a peek at the second option, the 76ers receive Jarred Vandebilt who’s locked in for three more seasons, and then they get three expiring contracts which would free up around $40 million in cap space for the 2026 offseason. They could even entertain resigning Rui Hachimura as he’s been one of the unsung heroes for the Lakers.
Why the Lakers Would Be Interested in Paul George
When you look at both packages, the first makes total sense if Lebron James stays true to the rumors we’re currently hearing about his uncertainty in Los Angeles, as this gives him an out, and he doesn’t even have to agree to resign in Philadelphia.
The hardest sell for the Lakers is if they’re willing to buy into the Paul George contract.
Paul George Stats from 2024-2025
- Games played: 41 regular-season games
- Per-game averages (regular season):
- 16.2 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 4.3 APG, 1.8 SPG, 0.5 BPG
- Shooting splits: 43.0% FG, 35.8% 3P, 81.4% FT
These represent his lowest games-played total since the 2021–22 season, and his first time averaging under 21 PPG since 2014–15
Paul George 2024 Injuries
- Preseason: Hyperextended left knee — missed first 5 games
- November: Re-aggravated same knee — additional 3-game absence
- January: Injured left pinkie — sidelined (specific games not listed)
- Post-All-Star Break: Persistent left groin soreness — missed 4+ games
- March 17, 2025: Received injections in left adductor and knee; ruled out for remainder of season
George and Embiid shared the floor only 15 times, and went 7-8 in those games, not a great showing. In those games where they played together, George averaged a reduced 14.1 PPG, along with 5.7 RPG, 3.6 APG, 2.1 SPG, and 0.5 BPG over 31.7 minutes each night.
George’s 16.2 points per game marked his lowest average since returning from a major injury in 2014–15
This season marked the 5th time in six years he played fewer than 60 games, with 41 games being his lowest total since 2021–22
All in all, this Paul George trade proposal is something the 76ers should NO DOUBT look into, as it’s hard to find a single downside for them, but this proposal is likely stopped by the Lakers because of the uncertainty of George’s committment as well as his massive contract.